Amalia was the first queen of Greece (1836-1862) and the wife of King Otto.

With her beauty, charm and strong personality, she introduced the concept of fashion in Greece and represented the spirit of progress by connecting Greece with the European perspective.Queen Amalia created the so-called “Amalia outfit”, a romantic folk court dress that went down in history as “Amalia” and became the national women’s costume

A Brief History Of The Amalia Dress

The Amalia dress is a Greek traditional folk costume created by Queen Amalia, who ruled as wife of King Otto from 1837 until their expulsion following an uprising in Athens in 1862. The outfit is the result of an attempt to establish a unifying symbol of Greek identity. Read on for a brief history of the Amalia costume and its historical significance in the fashion culture of Greece.

The young modern Greece, established on February 3, 1830 by virtue of the Protocol of Independence, was in need of its own identity after being under Ottoman rule for roughly 400 years. As such, the newly appointed royal couple of German descent – King Otto and Queen Amalia – accepted the complicated task of reigning over the new country with gusto when they arrived in the Greek capital (then located in Nafplio) dressed in traditional costumes. The king proudly wore the fustanella while the Queen wore a romantic folksy dress, influenced by Western European fashion and combining details from Greek traditional costume. For them, the creation of a national attire was necessary to ensure and create a unified identity.

Amalia wore the dress on formal occasions (though she preferred wearing the latest Parisian fashions in her day-to-day life) and requested that her female court wear it as well. The costume includes a long dress – called foustani or kavadi – inspired by the Biedermeier style, a central European silhouette popular in Germany and the surrounding countries, with a bodice based on the model of the Greek traditional kavadi (a local long-sleeved dress). The dress was open to the front to reveal an embroidered chemise. The kontogouni or zipouni is the short, tight-fitting velvet jacket worn over the foustani. It was usually embroidered with intricate gold patterns. The ensemble ends with a final flourish – the red fez always adorned with a tassel of braided gold threads.

Today, the Amalia dress is no longer considered a symbol of identity of the Greek nation, though the fustanella endures in the uniform of the Presidential Guard. However, on various occasions, such as Greek national days (particularly October 28^th and March 25^th), young girls sometimes amuse themselves by wearing lower-quality Amalia dresses for Carnival or dress-up parties.

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¿Has oído hablar del traje tradicional “Amalia”?

Amalia fue la primera reina de Grecia (1836-1862) y la esposa del rey Otón.

Con su belleza, encanto y fuerte personalidad, introdujo el concepto de moda en Grecia y representó el espíritu de progreso al conectar a Grecia con la perspectiva europea. La reina Amalia creó el llamado “atuendo de Amalia”, un vestido romántico de la corte popular que pasó a la historia como “Amalia” y se convirtió en el traje nacional de mujeres.

Una breve historia del vestido de Amalia

El vestido de Amalia es un traje popular tradicional griego creado por la reina Amalia, que gobernó como esposa del rey Otón desde 1837 hasta su expulsión tras un levantamiento en Atenas en 1862. El atuendo es el resultado de un intento de establecer un símbolo unificador de la identidad griega. Siga leyendo para una breve historia del traje de Amalia y su importancia histórica en la cultura de la moda de Grecia.

The young modern Greece, established on February 3, 1830 by virtue of the Protocol of Independence, was in need of its own identity after being under Ottoman rule for roughly 400 years. As such, the newly appointed royal couple of German descent – King Otto and Queen Amalia – accepted the complicated task of reigning over the new country with gusto when they arrived in the Greek capital (then located in Nafplio) dressed in traditional costumes. The king proudly wore the fustanella while the Queen wore a romantic folksy dress, influenced by Western European fashion and combining details from Greek traditional costume. For them, the creation of a national attire was necessary to ensure and create a unified identity.

Amalia usó el vestido en ocasiones formales (aunque prefería usar las últimas modas parisinas en su vida cotidiana) y solicitó que su corte femenina también lo usara. El traje incluye un vestido largo, llamado foustani o kavadi, inspirado en el estilo Biedermeier, una silueta centroeuropea popular en Alemania y los países circundantes, con un corpiño basado en el modelo del tradicional griego kavadi (un vestido local de manga larga). El vestido estaba abierto al frente para revelar un chemise bordado. El kontogouni o zipouni es la chaqueta de terciopelo corta y ajustada que se usa sobre el foustani. Por lo general, estaba bordado con intrincados patrones de oro. El conjunto termina con un broche final: el fez rojo siempre adornado con una borla de hilos dorados trenzados.

Hoy en día, el vestido de Amalia ya no se considera un símbolo de identidad de la nación griega, aunque la fustanella perdura en el uniforme de la Guardia Presidencial. Sin embargo, en varias ocasiones, como los días nacionales griegos (particularmente el 28 ^de octubre y el ^{25 de} marzo), las jóvenes a veces se divierten usando vestidos de Amalia de menor calidad para el Carnaval o fiestas de disfraces.